MAC Middle Hosts Final ACT of the ‘22-’23 School Year

The Middle School students completed their final ACT (Aspire-Create-Transform) on May 4th with an engaging event that demonstrated how much they have learned and grown during this school year. The event featured a subject expo that gave students the opportunity to showcase their learning across language arts, math, Spanish, art and science. Students also shared work in progress as part of their Design Thinking Unit in which they identified a community issue, interviewed experts and community members and then developed possible solutions to their defined problems. These problems covered a broad range of issues from “tiny homes for the unhoused” to “adolescent sleep & school schedules.” They engaged with the MAC community by presenting their ideas and asking for feedback to help them refine their proposed solutions. ACT IV was a powerful example of place-based and purpose based learning, which are both at the heart of the MAC Middle approach to learning. As part of the design thinking process, students engaged outside of the classroom with members of the community to gain first-hand insight on their identified problems. Their design thinking projects also demonstrated how student learning can be infused with a sense of purpose and empower students to think and feel deeply about issues to enact meaningful change. “I was so impressed by the students’ adherence to the design thinking process in order to develop a well-rounded understanding of issues affecting our community and develop possible solutions. ACT IV was a great showcase of thinking and curiosity,” said Nancy James, Head of School. We are proud of all MAC Middle students for their hard work this school year and look forward to another year of inspiring learning for the ‘23-’24 school year!